11-28-2017, 02:18 AM
I'll give one reason: Joe Haden is out.
Haden smothered AJ (as he usually does) in the last game, holding AJ to 3 catches for 41 yards on 6 targets.
The last 2 games played vs Pitt in PBS (sans Haden), Green produced these stat lines:
6 catches - 132 yards - 1 TD (9 targets)
11 catches - 224 yards - 1 TD (17 targets)
Neither of these were a win though. Our defense allowed 42 and 33 points in these games. I think AJ shows up though. If he does, it's on the D to hold their own. Now this is a prime time game though, so it's possible no one shows up and AJ Green morphs into Ron Dugans. We'll see.
Even if Andy/AJ, the run game and the defense all show up, the Steelers often break things open in the return game against us. The last time we out-rushed the Steelers happens to be our last prime-time match against them (in 2014). Antonio Brown had a 71 yard Kick Return TD, and Nugent missed a FG. That turned out to be the difference.
The last time we beat the Steelers in Prime-Time was a 20-10 win on 9/16/2013 at PBS. We out-rushed the Steelers 127 to 44 that day. Dalton threw for 280 with a TD and no turnovers. That's the type of game we need to have to win. I never worry about Roethlisberger beating us on his own. He almost never does that. They pound us with the run and then let Ben take some shots.
Haden smothered AJ (as he usually does) in the last game, holding AJ to 3 catches for 41 yards on 6 targets.
The last 2 games played vs Pitt in PBS (sans Haden), Green produced these stat lines:
6 catches - 132 yards - 1 TD (9 targets)
11 catches - 224 yards - 1 TD (17 targets)
Neither of these were a win though. Our defense allowed 42 and 33 points in these games. I think AJ shows up though. If he does, it's on the D to hold their own. Now this is a prime time game though, so it's possible no one shows up and AJ Green morphs into Ron Dugans. We'll see.
Even if Andy/AJ, the run game and the defense all show up, the Steelers often break things open in the return game against us. The last time we out-rushed the Steelers happens to be our last prime-time match against them (in 2014). Antonio Brown had a 71 yard Kick Return TD, and Nugent missed a FG. That turned out to be the difference.
The last time we beat the Steelers in Prime-Time was a 20-10 win on 9/16/2013 at PBS. We out-rushed the Steelers 127 to 44 that day. Dalton threw for 280 with a TD and no turnovers. That's the type of game we need to have to win. I never worry about Roethlisberger beating us on his own. He almost never does that. They pound us with the run and then let Ben take some shots.
The training, nutrition, medicine, fitness, playbooks and rules evolve. The athlete does not.
